Chapter 258: M-Mother, Scary Man!!
"No matter how long you stare at me, I will not change my decision" an old man said as he leaned back in his creaking leather chair.
"Headmaster, see, I am not asking anything unreasonable, am I?" Eli asked with a calm face, though inwardly he was seething, the clenching of his jaw barely noticeable.
"I am sorry, young man, but this is what the council has decided" The old man, The Headmaster said with a stern face, his gaze unwavering.
"...But isn\'t it a little too much?" Eli questioned, keeping his anger in check, though the frustration was evident in the subtle tension of his shoulders.
"Is it?" The Headmaster raised his eyebrows with a hint of amusement in his eyes, a glint that hinted at a deeper knowledge about something...he didn\'t want to express.
"..." Eli\'s lips twitched, a mix of annoyance.
"Sigh, see, Asher Eli..." The Headmaster leaned towards Eli, the worn lines on his face deepening as he said seriously, "Council members ordered me to stop women from approaching you" he.....lied blatantly, a practiced expression hiding any hesitation.
"Council members?" Eli gritted his teeth, making a mental note to remember this incident. He said with a frustrated face, "Even so, announcing it like that..."
"Listen, young man, I heard you are already married to THE beautiful wife, so why bother?" The Headmaster expressed annoyance, a mild impatience in his tone, while inwardly hoping Eli would not find out the intricacies behind the decision.
"...." Eli realized there was nothing more he could do to persuade this old man, a bitter acceptance settling in his eyes.
"Well, I came here for another reason" Eli said as he looked at the old man.
The old man looked at Eli as if \'Go on\'
"I want the script..."
After some serious talk.
"Fine" Eli said with a defeated tone as he left the Headmaster\'s office, the door creaking as it closed behind him.
"Sigh" A heavy sigh left the Headmaster\'s mouth as he felt relieved, thinking the problem wouldn\'t come his way.
"Oh? I forgot to inform him of important news... Well, he will hear it from Rock" he thought, starting to focus on his work, his pen scratching against the parchment.
....
...
Eli stared at the banner as he overheard the chatter,
"So, if we don\'t speak to this handsome man, we earn 1 credit.... That\'s kinda lame but free".
"No, no, it wasn\'t lame. It is for the safety of the woman. I also heard rumours it was punishment for betraying the Hero".
"Even so, it\'s kind of lame. And even more, if women spoke to him or even approached him, they would get 10 negative Credits and also 5 negative Merits".
"Merits aren\'t as easy as getting Credits!!"
"Hehehe..."
"Talk about the great plan to safeguard women from that bastard. Die, you handsome!"
"Hahahaha...."
\'Chatter\'
Eli wanted to burn this banner to the ground. However, he worried that the Headmaster would come up with more drastic actions, a sense of impending doom lingering in his thoughts.
Eli looked at the document in his hand and sighed. He already had one punishment that he needed to finish, \'Let\'s go to the orphanage. Otherwise, I will earn negative credits, which is not a problem for me. However, others might start to get suspicious\' hinting at his infinite credits, a secret he guarded with caution.
He didn\'t have morning classes, so he decided to finish the job, and in the afternoon, he would attend Aadya\'s classes, a routine that now felt burdened? with additional challenges.
\'And where are the others?\' Eli wondered why no one was in his classroom, a growing sense of isolation settling within him.
Eli walked out of the Nex, and everyone looked at him and murmured to themselves but didn\'t approach him.
The Headmaster had already informed the media that Eli was trying to save others by manipulating the Dungeon Walker. As for Alysia, though no one spoke about her betrayal and disgrace, some accepted that she didn\'t have a choice. Elves, her own people, really wanted to overthrow the throne, creating an undercurrent of tension in the air and Eli really wished to speak with Alysia at the end of today.
Eli carefully followed the guide, the air thick with anticipation and reluctance as he approached the place,
Eden Orphanage
"What a weird name..." Eli muttered, his voice echoing in the not-too-old building.
"Excuse me?" Eli called out to a person who was diligently cleaning the floor.
"Yes...?" A blindfolded woman with honey-coloured hair answered, her movements precise despite her lack of sight.
"I am sorry, Miss. But I am here for \'volunteer work\'" Eli said with respect, his demeanour sincere...totally unexpected.
"Oh, please wait here. I will call Mother, Dear sir" the girl bowed.
"Thank you, Miss," Eli also bowed a little....totally unexpected.
As the blindfolded woman left, Eli took a moment to survey his surroundings. Nothing special, just like any other orphanage....the building was old, with more cracks and dust, and some old furniture that had seen better days.
"Why are you here?"
Eli heard a familiar voice, and turning around, he saw two a shade of pink long-haired girls.
"Oh? If it isn\'t the saintesses from Chola Kingdom" Eli raised his eyebrows, his tone carrying a hint of amusement.
"I asked you, why are you here?" The girl with aurora night-sky eyes asked, her gaze steady and piercing. She held the hands of another shade of pink long-haired girl who wore a blindfold.
"I am here for..." Eli was about to respond but stopped himself from saying anything further, a slight mystery lingering in his eyes, "Why should I tell you, Ms. Kira?"
"My name is Kyra, you idiot" Kyra rebuked Eli, her annoyance apparent.
"That\'s what I said, \'Genius\'" Eli responded with a playful smile.
Kyra\'s lips twitched, and she was about to say something when,
"Hello, Mr. Asher Eli. Forgive us for not speaking before... and let me remind you, I am Kira" Kira, who wore a blindfold, said with a smirk, her tone holding a subtle friendlier.
"Hello. Don\'t worry about the idiotic notice, and I know your name, Ms. Kira. You are as polite as ever" Eli replied with a warm smile, acknowledging the unique dynamics of their previous encounters....Nothing.
"So, what are you doing here?" Kira asked as she held Kyra\'s hand tightly, a curiosity flickering in her blindfolded gaze.
"Well, I always wanted to do social service, so I thought why not support those innocent children" Eli lied through his mouth without any hesitation, weaving a tale that blended with the noble cause of the orphanage.
"That\'s a commendable act, Mr. Asher Eli" Kira nodded, her blindfolded expression giving nothing away, but then she added, "If not for punishment, that is" injecting a subtle scepticism into her acknowledgement.
"..." Eli\'s eyes twitched when he saw Kira, and he glanced at Kyra, who was holding her mouth as if she was trying to hide her laugh.
Eli wanted to pinch this cheeky brat, however, he knew his limit. He shook his head and asked, "Why are you here?".
"We do not--" Kyra began to reject when Kira interrupted her, saying, "We are saintesses, of course. We always visit every orphanage to help them" offering a glimpse into their altruistic mission that they have to do as a saintess.
"Oh!" Eli made an \'O\' shape with his mouth before nodding, adopting an expression of understanding and at the same time not understanding since he never saw Luna doing something like this.
"Kira, stop speaking with him. Mother already warned us not to speak with him" Kyra suddenly scolded Kira.
"Mother?" Eli raised his eyebrows in surprise, intrigued by her words.
"Yes, Mother told us not to speak with a bad guy like you" Kira said as she ignored Kyra\'s scolding.
"Why?" Eli was taken aback, the revelation of being labelled a \'bad guy\' sparking a mix of confusion and curiosity, \'Did I do anything to her mother?\' Eli thought.
"Because you are a bad guy"
"KIRA!!" Kyra shouted at Kira, her frustration evident as she tried to control Kira.
"I told you not to speak with that pervert" Kyra shouted furiously. She was doing it for her sister and yet she kept ignoring her words and speaking with him.
Kira lowered her head in guilt.
"..." Eli watched this scene unfold, his mind racing with questions. He wondered why Kyra called him an idiot and a pervert... maybe he did something, but he never did anything to her or her sister.
"Should I tell this to Mother?" Kyra asked with a frown, her threat hanging in the air.
"I am sorry" Kira said from the heart.
"You should have listened to me first, instead of talking to the pervert!" Kyra said with annoyance, revealing a protective nature that added depth to their relationship.
Suddenly,
"Hey?" An emotionless voice came, cutting through the air like a blade.
"What perver—H-hffff" Kyra was just about to respond to Eli when he materialized in front of her, his grip firm on her cheeks, stifling her words.
"Next time you call me a pervert, and I\'ll show you what that means" Eli declared with an intensity that sent a shiver down Kyra\'s spine, his face dangerously close to hers.
Kyra was on the verge of retaliating when,
"M-Mother, Scary Man!!" A child\'s voice echoed, breaking the tension.